Indian women’s hockey team faces South Africa in World Cup

High on confidence after a 2-2 draw with Olympic silver medallists China, the Indian women's hockey team will face South Africa in their second Pool D match of the Women's Hockey World Cup on Tuesday. A win would strengthen their bid for a top-two finish in the pool. The New Indian Express reports that India are favourites based on recent history, including a 7-0 win during a Test series in South Africa in 2023.

India's draw with China, ranked No. 4 in the world, showed they can compete with top teams, according to coach Sjoerd Marijne. Sports.ndtv.com notes India will look to build on that performance. The team must get maximum points against South Africa before facing England on Thursday. Marijne warned against taking South Africa lightly, saying they are a good team getting better.